The Mediterranean Sea

The Mediterranean Sea, which is considered a biodiversity hotspot, is, by far, the leading tourism destination in the world, receiving more than 267 million international tourists in 2017, and producing a high anthropogenic pressure on its natural environment. The arrival of these tourists is mainly concentrated during the summer season when the use of sunscreen is higher among population. This chapter addressed the potential impact that the use and dumping of sunscreen components has in the Mediterranean Sea and the toxic effects of these components on its local marine biota (e.g. Paracentrotus lividus and Mytilus galloprovincialis), highlighting the lack of information on emblematic endangered species such as the seagrass Posidonia oceanica.